《 Skip a Beat 》

Worth the wait

True to Theseus' wishes, Travers and Graves were visibly surprised when the partners came walking down the hill, files in hand. Walking down, as if nothing had ever happened.

Tina could've sworn that the latter had to refrain from enveloping her into a hug- both of them thought that Theseus and Tina had burnt in the explosion.

Travers merely offered his congratulations and even a smile, which, this time, looked less like a grimace and more like a proper smile.

They'd soon learned that the rest of the aurors had been asked to return to London early- only Travers and Graves had remained behind in case of stragglers.

After swiftly taking the portkey back to London, they reunited with the rest of their team, who, unlike Graves, didn't hesitate to squeeze them into hugs.

Graves and Travers had been overjoyed to finally part ways, and the latter had made off neatly with the files, intending to evaluate them, then inform the aurors of their next move, based off what the prized information in the folders revealed.

For now, they were granted a few days, maybe even a week, to return to their friends and family.

It was straight to the hospital for Tina and Theseus, even more so when Graves took one look at the purple bruise forming on Theseus' forehead, and Tina's still mysteriously aching ribcage, and ordered them to see a healer.

Just half a minute to greet other aurors, and they were off, heading back to the hospital.

Fizzing bubbles of excitement began rising in Tina's chest the moment they stepped through the doors. She was nervous- definitely nervous, but she couldn't wipe the smile off her face. They were barely a few minutes away from seeing their family again. From seeing all of them.

Glancing to her side, she found the same smile on Theseus' face. He grinned back, and she could tell he was thinking the same thing.

As the pair walked through the oh-so-familiar corridors, Tina suddenly found herself becoming absurdly self-conscious of the most unusual things- she fiddled nervously with her blouse collar, repeatedly tucked her hair behind her ear and kept glancing down, as if expecting to see something abnormal about her feet or walk.

"Stop fiddling," hissed Theseus, his eyes catching her hand drifting upwards towards her collar again. "It's going to be fine."

She only nodded numbly, too tired to respond.

So tired, and yet, she still found the energy inside her to be excited, to be nervous, to be both at the same time.

She'd just returned from a mission where she'd been attacked, caught in an explosion, and almost burned to death, limping the whole way, and she still found the energy within her to be excited to see her friends again.

Catching her from her own thoughts, Theseus, out of the blue, asked her, "What's your patronus?"

Not fully registering the question, and not entirely inclined to reply using proper speech, she answered, "Huh?"

"What's your patronus?"

"Oh..."

Tina smiled at the ground, reminiscing the thought. Of course he wanted to know. She'd cast the patronus charm right in front of him, and he couldn't have seen it from where he was standing- of course he was curious.

"It was a porcupine..." she began softly, looking back at him.

Theseus studied the faint blush on her cheeks.

"Was?"

She only chuckled softly, staring at the ground again as they walked along.

She wasn't giving him a real answer, then.